Small businesses cope with extended social distancing guidelines

JACKSON COUNTY, Miss. (WLOX) -President Trump officially extended the administration’s social distancing guidelines through the end of April, and some local business owners are having to cope with the change in pace.

Pascagoula Nutrition serves teas packed with vitamins. It’s also the only shop that remains open at Anchor Square.

“We are the only one that was able to stay open, or that felt comfortable enough to stay open," said Jessica Hightower, owner of Pascagoula Nutrition. "Being a small business ourself, this is our income.”

Hightower is looking for new ways to generate business over the next month while limiting contact with customers.

“I was trying to come up with an idea to where, if people were uncomfortable to come in, we could still make that income and still have people feel safe enough to come. And so we were like, ‘Well the side window is right there. We got the deck. Let’s open it.' That way there is no contact. That keeps my employees safe and as long with the customers as well,” she said.

Hightower is not alone in taking the social distancing guidelines seriously. Lee Bond is the CEO of Singing River Health System, and he stressed the importance of following these guidelines.

“This word ‘social distancing’ is out there, but really it means don’t come in contact with other people," said Bond. "You should treat every person that you come in contact with as if they have it.”

Copyright 2020 WLOX. All rights reserved.